Neighbour armed with vacuum cleaner comes to rescue as scooter boy is savaged by dog in Droylsden

A boy was saved by a hero neighbour after being savaged by a vicious dog in the street. Louis Currie, 12, suffered horrific injuries in the attack by the Pit Bull-type animal. His mum Sarah believes he could have died but for the bravery of Stewart McGuinness, who fought off the dog with a metal tube from a vacuum cleaner.

A boy was saved by a hero neighbour after being savaged by a vicious dog in the street. Louis Currie, 12, suffered horrific injuries in the attack by the Pit Bull-type animal.

His mum Sarah believes he could have died but for the bravery of Stewart McGuinness, who fought off the dog with a metal tube from a vacuum cleaner.

It sprang from a garden as Louis rode his scooter to a pal’s house – tearing a chunk out of his leg and sinking its teeth into his arms and face.

Louis, who was in shock and bleeding heavily, was helped to safety by other neighbours and the emergency services were called to the scene on Cypress Road, Droylsden, Tameside.

He is recovering at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester, but he could have lifelong scars and may need plastic surgery.

Sarah, who lives with Louis and his older sister Megan, 16, on nearby Hampshire Road, said: "Louis tried to climb onto cars and a van, but the dog wouldn’t stop. Stewart got a Hoover pole and battered the dog. In my eyes, he saved my son’s life. Louis was very lucky. In most places the dog’s teeth didn’t go through major arteries or tendons, but there’s muscle damage that needs to be fixed."

Stewart, 45, a mini-sweeper driver for Salford council, told how the drama unfolded.

He said: "My partner Julie and I were sat watching the television when we heard a young child screaming outside. Julie looked out of the window and saw the lad being attacked by the dog. It was on top of him, biting him. My automatic reaction was to grab the first thing that came to hand, which happened to be the vacuum extension.

"I tried to force the dog off the lad, but he had him by the leg. It was vicious. It wasn’t the nicest thing having to whack the dog with the pole, but I had no choice – it would have killed him otherwise. Eventually I got the dog off and threw it over a fence into another garden. We locked all the gates, but we were still worried it would jump over the fence.

"It was a horrible dog – all muscle. It was just so powerful that when I was hitting it with the pole, there was no reaction.

"It bit so far into the lad’s leg that it was near impossible to get it off. The lad and the dog were covered in blood, it was horrific. My only concern was saving the boy – I didn’t think about myself, it was just automatic."

Stewart’s partner, Julie Lydon, 47, rang an ambulance. She said the incident lasted 10 to 15 minutes. She said: "We just hope he’s okay – his injuries were awful."